Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts UKReview

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By Matt Wales

Let's lay some groundwork here: Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts isn't a platform game. Anyone living in hope of some last minute substitution on the genre front should realign their perceptions now. So let's all get over any lingering prejudice riding merrily on vague nostalgia and get down to business. We've got one bear, one bird, a handful of superficial similarities to previous game entries and an entirely new vehicle mechanics at the core.

On the surface though, it's all very B-K redux. From sub-Carry On calibre humour to general game structure, Nuts & Bolts does a grand old job of reintroducing the franchise to series stalwarts, with its roster of returning characters, concepts and locales. Despite the seismic shift beneath the surface, it's unmistakably Banjo and defiantly Rare. In the latter case, that means sky-high productions values, with the game featuring near infallible attention-to-detail whether in the frequently stunning location design, glorious character animation and perky audio.

Dumped into Showdown Town - the game's enormous hub world – it's largely business as usual too. Basic progression in Banjo involves unlocking levels and taking on challenges to earn Jiggies. Each world consists of three main 'levels' - identical aside from new challenges - plus one boss-like confrontation with series bad guy Gruntilda. Jiggy accumulation unlocks portals to new worlds and on it goes until the final showdown.

Of course, Nuts & Bolts breaks significantly from its illustrious predecessors in its core vehicle-based concept. This new mechanic permeates pretty much every aspect of the game, from hub exploration to level missions and, while Showdown Town features some perfunctory platform segments to further Rare's obsession with kleptomaniac game design, you'll spend most of your time strapped in the back of cars, boats, planes, helicopters, hovercraft - or indeed anything your imagination can muster.

Straddling the user-created content bandwagon with gusto, Banjo's focus is firmly on LEGO-like vehicle construction and modification. Its significance isn't immediately obvious - with the game doing a surprisingly poor job of explaining its core concepts - and, initially, you'll likely be content with default vehicles doled out in pre-mission briefings. As things progress though - and as your stock of collectible vehicle parts burgeons - you're increasingly encouraged (if not downright forced) to get your hands dirty in the garage to reap maximum rewards.

In fact, construction is probably Banjo's crowning achievement, the game featuring an incredibly robust set of tools for the job. Designing your dream vehicle simply requires selecting parts from your inventory - ranging from essential like engines to more exotic components including projectile missiles and retractable wings - then clipping them together using an incredibly tactile snap-to-grid style construction system. Aside from some interface quirks, it's simple, intuitive and compulsively satisfying - more so when you realise the sheer flexibility afforded by the myriad components at your disposal. What's more, with picture-snapping and blueprint-sharing features in place, there's ample opportunity to earn bragging rights.